Hey Chiharu!
by LuckyFractal
Summary: Eight years have passed since tragedy rocked the residents of Hillwood City with the deaths of the Pataki family. But who is this mysterious blonde martial artist who moved to town? And why can they change genders? The Ranma 1/2 and Hey Arnold crossover you never knew you wanted.
1. Chapter 1

"Freedom!"

The triumphant, elated shout echoed around the quickly emptying schoolyard late one Monday afternoon. Around the quad grade-schoolers jumped, shooting surprised looks at the source before going back to what they were doing with nothing more than a shrug.

"I think you're overreacting." A second voice stated in a much calmer tone, with an implied shake of the head in exasperation.

"Oh you know I'm not baby! Two weeks and no worries! The cat has gone and the mice shall play! It's all smooth sailing from here." The first continued, enthusiasm dampened but not at all diminished.

Arnold Shortman, fifth-grader, gentleman and all around nice guy sighed at his best friend's antics. Gerald had been going on and on about this since the beginning of classes that morning, all through recess and now looked to be continuing that for the walk home.

Seriously the news that…

"Helga G. Pataki has left the country! Gone for two glorious weeks!"

…Seriously wasn't this important.

"It's no big deal Gerald." Arnold sighed for what seemed like millionth time that morning. "I don't understand why you're making such a fuss."

Gerald actually stopped short in the sidewalk, forcing Arnold to do the same. "Arnold, baby. We both know what she's like. Think about it, two weeks and no having to watch where we're walking, no having to worry about Betsy and the Five Avengers? It'll be paradise!"

"Oh come on Gerald, she's not that bad." Arnold tried to argue. "She's just misunderstood."

 _That_ was a disagreement that had lasted a long time between the two best friends. An argument that was unlikely to change anytime soon, judging by Gerald's disbelieving stare. "If you say so. I still think she's evil, but that's just me." The boy muttered to himself.

Arnold frowned at that, before his expression turned to curiosity. "I wonder why her family suddenly decided to go on vacation so soon after the start of the school year…"

Gerald only shrugged. "Who cares? She's gone. She'll be back eventually, quit worrying."

"I know, but I can't help it. It's what I do." Arnold sighed with a self-deprecating smile.

Gerald recognized that look and sighed. "Look, Arnold. She helped us out big time, we both know that. But this is Helga G. Pataki we're talking about! Toughest girl in PS 118! She'll be fine."

Arnold smiled, a real one this time. "Yea, you're right. Thanks man."  
What Arnold didn't let show was the events on the rooftop that Gerald had just reminded him of… Just what did _heat of the moment_ even mean?

Gerald grinned at him and clapped a hand to his shoulder with a laugh. "You know it baby!"

"Oh, excuse me. I could not help but over hear you wondering about Helga's whereabouts?" A high-pitched voice asked from directly behind the two.

Both whirled around in surprise, only to relax at the familiar face of Phoebe Heyerdhal. The dark-haired Japanese-American girl smiled softly in apology for startling them. "Good afternoon Arnold, Gerald. If it helps, I can explain. Would that be acceptable?" She asked.

Arnold felt like slapping himself in the face. He'd been wondering all day and he didn't even think to ask Helga's best friend. How silly could you be?

"That'd be great Phoebe, thanks. Where'd she go?" He asked.

"To Tokyo, Japan actually. It's very exciting." Phoebe replied.

"Woah, really? Why?" Gerald asked the question before Arnold had to.

"It turns out that Helga's older sister Olga won quite a prestigious literary award for up and coming writers. They left Friday afternoon, and the award ceremony is next week I believe."

Now that was new info for them. "Wow, that's incredible." Arnold said.

Phoebe giggled lightly at that. "Oh, not according to Helga. Apparently she didn't even want to go, but Olga and her mother insisted that the whole family be there. I was on the other end of a rather long and strongly worded rant about it."

"Yea I'll bet." Gerald muttered under his breath.

"Well, it's a long way to go." Phoebe said diplomatically.

"That is true. Across the world isn't it?" Gerald said.

"Oh, it's not _that_ bad really. It's actually on the other side of the Pacific Ocean from here. You'd know that if you had not slept through geography class yesterday." She teased.

Arnold and Gerald couldn't help laughing at that. "True, True. But there you go, she's gonna be fine and back soon. No worries!" Gerald accepted with grace.

"Now that that's over and school's out, want to grab a shake? That new place around the block opened up not too long ago, my man Fuzzy Slippers says it's legit." Gerald said with a laugh.

"Well I can't argue with Fuzzy Slippers. Yea I'll come. I left my money at home though; I'd have to grab it." Arnold explained.

"Easy peasy. You know where it is?"

"Yea, I'll meet you there!" With a wave Arnold rushed off.

"Ah, I suppose I'll say goodbye then." Phoebe said.

Gerald blinked in surprise and looked at her. "Huh? You're not coming too?" He asked, genuinely confused.

It was Phoebe's turn to be surprised. "Was I included in that invitation?" She asked.

Gerald grinned at her. "Of course! Why not?"

Phoebe took a second to think it over, but eventually matched Gerald's grin with one of her own. "You're right. I cannot find a reason to decline. I would enjoy coming along." She replied.

"Need to pop home and grab some money as well?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Oh no, I usually carry some money on me, in case of emergencies such as this."

"Isn't that a little dangerous, you don't want any bullies taking that off you." Gerald commented with concern.

He had to admit he was surprised when Phoebe outright _laughed_ at that. "Gerald, I am best friends with _Helga G. Pataki_. I'm not really in any danger at school am I?" She asked with a twinkle of amusement in her eye.

Gerald was completely and utterly unable to come up with an argument against that. Even the six-graders were terrified by that girl.

"You've got a point. Well, no sense waiting here. Shall we head out?" He asked.

Phoebe nodded, a wide smile on her face. "Indeed."

* * *

Arnold had made the run home in a little over ten minutes, puffing hard but satisfied. He slowed to a more normal speed once he made it to the Boarding House's steps.

Running face-first into the steps once teaches a boy caution.

Still, he took the stairs two at a time before grabbing the handle.

The moment he opened the door he realized something was very wrong. Cautious for reasons he couldn't explain he slowly walked into the building. It took him a few seconds to click as to what was wrong. While most of the boarders would still be at work at this point in the afternoon, there was always some kind of ruckus going on at the Sunset Arms.

But right then, it was nearly silent. Only the muffled sounds of a tv at low volume in the lounge broke the oppressive stillness.

Arnold suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Hello, anyone here?" He called out.

Relief shot through him as he heard a shuffling in the main common room, before the wizened face of his crazy grandmother poked her head through the doorway.

That relief vanished at the collected, solemn look on her face. She'd never in Arnold's memory looked this… serious. It was highly unsettling.

"Arnold, you're back." She said, clear and simply.

That was another red flag. Something was _very_ wrong.

"Yea, um. What's going on Grandma?" He asked.

"You'd better see for yourself. Come here dear." She ordered, still in that unusual solemn tone.

Arnold found his grandfather Phil in the lounge, slipping an arm around his wife's shoulders as she returned to the couch.

His Grandpa didn't say anything, another strange occurrence. He instead pulled Arnold onto his lap and settled back to watch the TV again. Ad breaks, again.

"Hey Sport, you remember that plane-crash in China yesterday?" Phil asked him.

Arnold nodded. How could he have missed it? It was all over the news last night; the entire boarding house was packed into the room to find out more. Apparently some American citizens were on board, or at least that's what the media had claimed.

 _"And welcome back to this special breaking news report."_ The voice of the local announcer said. Gertrude turned up the volume as the news came back on.

" _To recap our story, at approximately midnight local time China Airways flight CI-117 from Astana to Hong-Kong suffered catastrophic engine failure while flying over the Bayankala Mountain Range in central China. We can now bring you a more up to date report on the tragedy. Asian correspondent Jennifer Beyer has more."_

The picture shifted to a helicopter flyover of what was obviously a horrific crash, bits of propeller and fuselage scattered all over a thickly forested mountain face. The wreck was in two distinct pieces, if that had happened before or after impact Arnold had no idea.

 _"These scenes of devastation are all that are left of China Airways Flight CI-117. The flight was supposed to be a routine trip from Kazakhstan's capital to Hong-Kong, but this time it ended in tragedy."_ A cool female voice explained. " _For reasons that are currently unknown an explosion went off somewhere in the craft, leaving the pilots unable to keep the plane in the air. It is now China's most devastating single air disaster, and unfortunately there have been no confirmed survivors amongst all one hundred and seventy four lives aboard."_

The image changed again, this time a picture of an Asian man in his twenties.

 _"Chinese authorities have released the names of the passengers and crew aboard that fateful flight. The list includes six American citizens. These names are twenty year old Steven Doyle of New York City-"_

The picture changed again, showing an image of each name as the reporter announced it.

 _"-Fifty six year old Martha Mabone of Huston Texas, twenty eight year old Martin Frost of Portland Oregon, forty seven year old Robert Pataki, along with his forty five year old wife Miriam and their ten year old daughter Helga, all of Hillwood city Washington._ "

Right as she said the words, the image changed for a last time, and it stopped Arnold's heart.

The anchor started talking again but Arnold wasn't listening. It was if someone had picked up a shard of glass and buried it in his stomach, while pulling the very ground out from under him at the same instant. _Ten year old daughter Helga… one hundred and seventy four lives lost._

Helga G Pataki, the girl he'd known since preschool, the one who despite all the spit balls and mean words had always been there for him when he really needed her and most recently confessed her love for him on top of a building, was gone.

"I'm sorry kiddo. I know you were friends." Gramps said.

"Yea… Yea we were." Arnold whispered to himself, truly realizing that fact for the first time.

It was all too much for the young boy. He sobbed loudly and buried his head into his grandfather's chest.

Phil Shortman felt his heart breaking for his grandson. He'd always thought that Bob Pataki had been an absolute ass of a man and his wife's alcoholism had been the subject of much gossip over the years. But no one deserved this, especially not little Helga.

He'd met the kid a number of times; she'd always been a forceful child. Full of spunk and took nothing from anyone. Reminded him of how Pookie used to be when they were kids, all fire and brimstone.

But it looked like that little spitfire wasn't going to be around to liven up things around Hillwood anymore. And that wasn't even beginning to get into what it must be like for Olga Pataki right now…

He shifted a still crying Arnold to the seat between himself and Pookie and they both wrapped loving arms around their little man.

They stayed there for some time, sharing their grandson's grief.

* * *

 _Two days earlier…_

There were times that Helga absolutely hated the fact her mother was an alcoholic.

1, the many times she had to go hungry because her mother forgot to make her anything to eat for lunch.

2, when she had to walk through rain or snow to get somewhere because Miriam had been on the 'smoothies' again and could hardly walk less drive her.

3, the new one. Ending up in _Khazakstan_ after _thirty hours_ of flight time because the alky had been hammered booking the flights to see her 'perfect daughter's' award.

But at least they were on the home stretch, a _highly_ disgruntled Helga reasoned, sat crammed between a fat lady and a really smelly old guy near the back of the plane. They were halfway through the flight to Hong Kong now, after that and a six hour wait in the airport they'd be on their way to Tokyo to see Olga get her award.

Criminy, even living in _ALASKA_ Olga had managed to once again rub it in her face how special she was.

She sighed in disgust. It was simply incredible how much her older sister was able to mess with her life. She'd much rather be at home alone, wouldn't have been the first time she had to look after herself, wouldn't be the last.

But no, Miriam had just _had_ to have one of her flashes of motherhood and demand the girl come along as well.

She sighed again. Oh well, at least she got to see Tokyo, that'd be cool. Phoebs' father was from there wasn't he? Where was he from again? Phoebe had told her at least once…

Nerimey, Nimeria, something like that?

With a mental shrug Helga dismissed it. She'd remember eventually.

Wait… what was that smell?

She sniffed experimentally, and reeled back instantly. Oh crimeny this old guy had just crapped in his pants!

She quickly unlatched her seatbelt and began the arduous process of shoving passed the land whale woman blocking her way to the isle. Apparently she'd fallen asleep at some point and was snoring away like two chainsaws in a fight over the affections of a bullhorn, blissfully unaware of what was going on.

With a grunt Helga flopped into the isle and stood up, grumbling the entire time. With the plan in mind of grabbing a flight attendant and letting them deal with it she set off towards the back of the plane and the service station there.

Only to be flung off her feet as the plane suddenly bucked, _hard_ , underneath her.

She was flung off her feet entirely, flipping end over end and in the isle. She landed with a sickening crack and a sudden, lancing pain in her leg.

With a scream she tried to rise, to get back to her seat and her seatbelt but she couldn't move on her now _very_ broken leg.

She heard her name screeched over the sudden cacophony of noise in the cabin and looked up. She'd managed to land directly next to her mother's seat, and the older Pataki woman was absolutely terrified. Without thought she grabbed at her mother's extended hand and began pulling herself up to her.

Again, the plane shook. This time a seemingly massive explosion tore tail of the plane entirely off, sucking two flight attendants out of the plane and into empty air several thousand meters above ground.

The sudden pull nearly dragged her from the plane; only her mother's grasp saved her from being immediately sucked out. They held desperately on for nearly a couple of minutes.

But the strain was too much, and they were unable to keep hold of each other. The last thing that Helga G. Pataki saw of her mother was the woman screaming her name as their hands slipped apart and Helga was torn away.

She tumbled end over end towards the gaping hole in the back of the plane before with an absolutely sickening crack her head slammed against the hole's metal edge and she knew no more.

* * *

If you were to ask Saotome Ranma, aqua-transsexual master of Anything Goes Martial Arts, where he'd like to be at that moment, the only answer you'd get would be 'absolutely anywhere but here.'

It had been five years since the day that Ranma, now twenty one years of age, had last stood in front of the cursed training grounds of Jusenkyo. Five years since he and his father had come to train there, and he'd been cursed to change into a woman at the splash of cold water. Nearly a year later Ranma had returned to save the life of his then fiancée Tendo Akane. And now, four years after _that_ , here he was.

Hostilities had flared up between the three tribes of the Bayankala Mountains, plunging the region into a bitter war with no end in sight. After months of desperate fighting the Joketzuko amazons had gotten desperate.

To the rest of the Nerima Wrecking Crew, the Neriman contingent of Chinese Amazons had vanished without a word. Out of nowhere the Cat Café didn't open one morning and stayed shut.

They all breathed a sigh of relief but Ranma couldn't help but be worried about them. Shampoo had become a real friend ever since the disastrous wedding attempt, mellowing out considerably. Mousse was still an asshole but at least he wasn't attacking Ranma on sight anymore. As for the Matriarch Cologne, that was a different story.

Cologne had been a major pain in his ass for a long time now. One of the biggest if Ranma was honest with himself. But even so and even if Ranma would never admit it, he had nothing but respect for the shrunken woman.

Cologne was the teacher he'd needed. His father was, despite all appearances to the contrary, an exceptionally skilled Martial Artist. But that simply wasn't enough, even way back when Ranma had arrived in Nerima. Cologne had, roundabout and with a lot of blackmail, stepped into the teaching roll and Ranma's skill had grown by leaps and bounds, especially once he matured enough to realize that fully.

So when he received a message from the Joketzuko Matriarch asking for his help, he'd come. The promise to annul the two Kisses hanging over his head at long last in return only sweetened the deal.

Ranma knew that he was in the prime of his life, and his Martial abilities showed that. He'd improved immeasurably from the boy that had walked away from a fight with a demigod alive, not even speaking of the boy who arrived in Nerima all those years ago.

He always had been the best Martial Artist of his generation, now he was simply one of the best martial artists in the world. Even Cologne had (begrudgingly) admitted that even she was hard pressed to win in a fight with him.

And so, he'd gone to war.

What no one expected was when Ranma showed up on the field the Musk and Phoenix forces surrendered instantly. None wished to take on the man that had defeated the most powerful members of their tribes in single combat.

Those very heads arrived later that day. A young, not yet fully realized Saffron and the Prince of the Musk Dynasty, Herb.

Herb was as he always was, but he greeted Ranma warmly. Kiima of the Phoenix tribe had kept her word; Saffron seemed much more likable this incarnation. He also greeted Ranma like a long lost friend.

The three leaders all essentially agreed on one thing, they would end the war if Ranma agreed to be a neutral arbitrator on the peace terms.

The negotiations had now lasted an entire month and had only _just_ finished, with all parties satisfied.

Free to wander for the first time in a month Ranma had taken off from the Joketzuko village for a run in the middle of the night, slipping easily past the gate guards with a smirk.

He'd run for a couple hours at an easy pace. Of course that _easy pace_ would have Olympic sprinters at their best collapsing on the ground after a couple seconds but that was beside the point. He'd had no real thought as to where he'd go, simply trusting the whims of fate.

Of course, fate decided to be a twat. It has started raining an hour in, turning Ranma-kun in to Ranma-chan. But at this point Ranma really wasn't bothered. He'd learned to truly accept himself as either form long ago.

So here she was stood lost in thought right in front of the pool of water that had caused her so much grief. The Spring of Drowned Girl in the cursed pools of Jusenkyo.

"Oh no, Miss Customer! You not be coming here! Is very dangerous!" A familiar voice called from behind her in broken Japanese.

She couldn't stop the grin from spreading unseen on her face. "Oh I know." She replied with a chuckle. "Firsthand experience." She clarified, turning around to face the Jusenkyo guide.

He'd aged since Ranma had last seen him, but still wore his trusty Mao outfit years after the leader's death.

The man gasped as he recognized her. "Is you! Why you here?"

Ranma shrugged and turned away with a shrug. "Don't know. I suppose I was meant to but as for why I couldn't tell you."

The guide didn't get a chance to respond. Both their attention was grabbed by the massive splash of something dropping into one of the pools from very high up.

Ranma swore to herself and was instantly off, up and away over the bamboo poles in the centre of each spring towards where the splash had come from. The guide set off at a decidedly slower pace, trusting the narrow pathways between the pools.

Ranma arrived at the spring within seconds. The darkness left him unable to make out the shape of the animal/person inside and was unwilling to jump into a random pool to find out. Instead she grabbed one of the long poles the Guide used to fish out unwary travellers and started pulling it towards her.

Eventually, she got close enough to grab hold of the thing's clothing. She grabbed on and hefted the victim out and onto the bank.

It was a _boy_. A young, blonde haired Caucasian _boy_ in a bright pink dress

The Guide arrived at last, huffing from the effort. "Oh no, this boy fall in the Spring of Drowned Man. Now every time he-"

"I know what it does!" Ranma snapped, shutting him up.

Ranma could only marvel. All that time searching and _now_ , when she _wouldn't_ take the chance and jump in herself did she find out the location of the elusive Spring of Drowned Man.

Due to her shock, she didn't immediately notice the boy's injuries. But she did after a second, and she winced at their extent.

He was in a very bad way. Ranma wasn't a doctor, she couldn't tell you exactly what was wrong, but she knew bad injuries when she saw them. The boy was bloody, broken and that leg was simply not supposed to bend that way.

He also wasn't breathing.

Fortunately, that was easily fixed. Ranma pressed her hands against the boy's chest and pulsed her ki into him.

Water shot from the boy's mouth and he drew in a ragged breath, but Ranma could tell he wasn't out of the woods yet. He may be breathing, but he hadn't woken up and that head wound looked _bad._

Ranma had to get the kid to the Joketzuko; it was the only way he'd survive. In fact, surviving that fall must have been a small miracle in and of itself. Something wanted him alive.

Or didn't want him to die before it'd messed with him some more, which seemed the more likely of the two.

She gathered the poor thing in her arms. "I'll take him from here." She told the Guide, who nodded. "Good luck Mr. Customer." He said.

She nodded in return and she shot off at top speed towards the Joketzuko village, so fast that to the untrained eye of the Guide she seemed to simply vanish.

* * *

The run to the village took less than two minutes at her maximum speed, but even then she was afraid it was too late.

The gate guards didn't even have a chance to spot her before she was leaping over the village wall, landing neatly on the other side.

"Help! I need a healer! A healer, quickly!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Doors slammed open as Chinese Amazons burst out with weapons in hand, searching for the disturbance. Cologne was one of the first.

She saw what was in Ranma's arms and paled. "Come with me, the healers is this way." She ordered without fanfare, hopping off on her cane.

Ranma followed without hesitation and the next thing she knew she was laying the small boy on a table and explaining where she'd found him.

She was immediately shooed from the tent with the Mistress Healer's promise that they would do all they could.

Ranma could do nothing more. So she headed to the training log and began anxiously running through some advanced Kata, trying to distract herself. It would be a long wait.

Years later, when asked about the story Ranma would pale and give a heavily redacted account of the event. After all, she didn't want to admit that her eldest daughter literally fell from the sky!

* * *

Hello everyone!

Welcome, welcome welcome to probably the strangest crossover you are ever likely to read. One which I am _proud_ to bring you. Ranma 1/2 and Hey Arnold. What horrible monster have I unleashed.

Anyway, what's done is done and here it is. Hope people like it!

Let a poor author know if you have any ideas, concerns or whatever. Press that review button!

And for any wondering, yes I am still working on a DWW:OM chapter. Lanaura's adventures in Thedas are not over by a long shot!

Well, that's all i have to say. Tootles!

Lucky Fractal.


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank the Goddess that's over..."

Elder Pa Fum of the Joketzuko, the best healer in the Amazon village, was feeling every minute of her hundred and fifty years as she looked over the small form of the child the God Slayer had brought to her.

It was _bad._ The child had a laundry list of injuries that, in all honesty, should have killed them. The fact that they _hadn't_ was frankly a goddess given miracle. Sixteen cracked ribs, broken arm, fractured hip, nasty broken leg, two broken wrists, internal bleeding, collapsed lung, punctured kidney and most worryingly, cracked skull.

Pa Fum didn't know what kind of damage the child's brain had suffered, but she knew it wasn't going to be good. Permanent brain injury was a very real possibility.

The child had been in a coma since they'd arrived, one which Pa Fum had no intention of waking them from. She'd in fact induced one herself to make sure they'd stay asleep for the moment.

She loosed a world weary sigh and collapsed into a nearby chair. Two straight days of effort to keep the child alive and it had been touch and go for the entire process. Their heart had stopped no less than three times.

The thing about Ki healing was that it was an art form as much as a science. You either had the skill or you didn't. Matriarch Ku-Lon had absolutely no talent for it, much to her chagrin. Pa Fum herself had been hailed as one of the best healers in the Joketzuko's three thousand years of history.

And it had taken all her skill to keep the child breathing.

But she'd managed it. She'd had to skip mending most of the child's breaks, focusing on the internal damage and trying to repair the damage to their skull.

They still had a very long recovery period ahead of them. Years at the very least before they were fully recovered, if ever at all.

But for now the child was stable, and wasn't going to just up and die on them without warning. That was the best she could do.

"Go and inform the God Slayer I wish to see him please." She ordered one of her assistant healers. "And inform the Matriarch as well."

The woman nodded and rushed out of the room. The rest busied themselves with splinting what couldn't be immediately healed and other miscellaneous tasks under Pa Fum's watchful eye. The child's ribbon and bloodstained dress were piled lightly on a chair nearby. The dress would have to go, but the ribbon was salvageable.

"Is he going to be alright?" A very familiar voice asked in Japanese from right beside her.

Pa Fum prided herself on only _slightly_ jumping as the currently female God Slayer appeared out of thin air so close to her.

"That remains to be seen." She answered in kind. "It wasn't easy. They aren't in danger of dying any more at least." She sighed heavily, accepting a cup of strong tea from one of her assistants.

Ranma did the same with a muttered thanks. "I honestly don't know where he came from. It sounded like he fell from an _incredible_ height but I can't think of how that's possible short of jumping out of a plane." She sighed.

"I do believe that is where this little girl came from, actually." The welcome voice of Ku-Lon cut in.

She pogoed up on her cane, nodding her head in respect. "I saw the extent of the girl's injuries. You've done incredible work here Mistress Healer."

Pa Fum bowed her head to the woman in kind. "Thank you Matriarch."

"Wait, girl? Really? How can you tell?" Ranma asked with a puzzled glance.

Ku-Lon chuckled. "Well, the child had clothes on when you brought them here. Animals don't suddenly start wearing them after they fall in the Springs, so she had to had to have been wearing them when she fell in. And as I'm sure you're aware by now the spirits of the place don't curse anyone with the species or gender they already have, what would the point in that be?"

Ranma, despite the circumstances, chuckled to herself. Wasn't that the truth?

"That's how I knew. Pa Fum here most likely saw the teltale signs of a Jusenkyo curse from a mile away, yes?" She directed the question at the healer.

"Indeed."

Ku Lon nodded in return. "She's a strong girl, I hope she recovers." Ku-Lon continued solemnly. "As for where she came from, our scouts reported that a passenger aircraft crashed into the mountains a couple hundred kilometres from here. She must have been thrown from the craft, it's the only explanation that makes sense"

Ranma winced. "That's not good. Any survivors?"

"No."

Ranma swore. "A fall from that height... wow."

There was quiet in the room for several moments before Ranma spoke up. "So what's to happen to her now?" The God Slayer asked.

Ku-Lon's face set in a grim line and she turned to regard the poor thing. "I honestly don't know. She's too young to be travelling on her own, so her parents must have been with her, or at least one of them."

She sighed heavily and drooped on her cane.

"We also know absolutely _nothing_ about her. Not even as much as her name, much less where she's from or who her family is. She may very well be an orphan now, we don't know. What we _do_ know is that she's western. How old would you say she was Pa Fum?"

"She'd be around a decade old. She has yet to begin making the changes into a woman, and will not for another two years or so." the healer answered with certainty.

"Hmm. She's western, she's young and now she's under the influence of Jusenkyo." Ku Lon grimly stated.

Ranma winced.

"That may turn out to be the most pressing problem. Jusenkyo curses aren't kind as you know. They tend to attract danger, and for anyone who can't take care of themselves it's often-"

"Deadly." Ranma finished.

"Indeed. She cannot be allowed to leave here until she's able to protect herself. Especially if she turns out to be American. And that's taking into account that she can do so at all!"

She sighed again. It was a grim picture whatever way you slid the brush.

"I'll look after her."

Both elders turned surprised gazes to the God Slayer. She stood and walked over to where the young child was lying, deathly pale and only lightly breathing.

She examined him for a moment, before laying a caring hand on the boy's face.

"I'll look after her. Come whatever will." She promised quietly, both to herself and to the young one.

"Are you sure? She has to stay here; do you know what that means?" Ku-Lon asked, not believing her ears.

Ranma nodded. "Yes. I'll stay." She said with certainty.

Inside their heads both Elders were dancing in joy. The God Slayer was going to stay with the Joketzuko! This was incredible news!

Despite this, Ku-Lon had some doubts. "May I ask why?"

Ranma didn't respond for a moment, just stood watching over the sleeping boy. "A couple of reasons." She said at last. "The most logical one is her curse. I'm the only person who can truly understand what she will be going through. She'll probably have it worse than I did to be honest, at least I didn't have to through puberty _twice_."

Both women winced at that.

"Other than that... I'm not sure. I guess I feel responsible. A Martial Artist's duty is to protect the weak, and she needs that more than anyone else. She needs me, and I'm not gonna let her down." Ranma stated, conviction filling her voice.

Ku-Lon could only smile. The girl didn't know it, but she was going to have a good life ahead of her. Ranma would see to that.

"Well in that case, there's only one thing left to do." Ku-Lon solemnly said. She hopped over to her, placing both withered hands on her shoulders.

"Saotome Ranma, I hereby name you shield-sister of the Joketzuko Amazon clan. Our strength is your sword, our village your shield, your enemies our own. You will always be welcome here, your new home."

"I accept." Ranma said quietly. "Thank you"

The moment over, Ku-Lon burst into laughter, so hard she was even thumping her fist on her cane.

"What's so funny!"

When she could actually form words around gales of laughter, Ku-Lon replied. "Just realizing that after all this time you're finally a member of the Joketzuko, what we'd been after all along, and it had nothing to do with us!"

The stricken look on Ranma's face sent her off again.

After she wound down Pa Fum decided to re-join the conversation.

"Congratulations Sister. Welcome to the Joketzuko. I'm sure you and your daughter will fit in just fine."

"Thank you-wait what? Daughter? I don't have a daughter!" Ranma cried.

"Oh really? I think you do." Ku-Lon laughed, waving a hand to the child on the table.

Ranma's eyes widened. "Oh hell no! I am not ready to be a parent!" He shouted, waving his hands as if to ward away the suggestion.

"Oh really? So what you said before was a lie? You would go back on your word, on your honour, so blatantly?" Ku-Lon asked archly.

"Hell no!" Ranma yelled. "I meant every word! On my honor as a martial artist!"

Pa Fum was internally laughing herself off her staff at the exchange. Who knew the mighty God Slayer Ranma was so easily manipulated!

Ku-Lon went for the throat. "Wouldn't you say you would be best able to do that as her guardian? You might be the only one who can."

Ranma's mouth worked as she desperately tried to argue, but she wasn't able to think of _anything_ against Ku-Lon's points.

Eventually, she accepted she had lost this argument. She drooped on herself, suddenly looking very vulnerable.

"I... I don't think I'll be a good parent." She admitted in a whisper, so soft that both Elders nearly missed it. "I don't know what one is supposed to be like, how can I be one myself?"

Pa Fum smiled warmly at her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I can guarantee you you'll have help. You and your daughter will be Amazons, we look after our own." She assured.  
"Besides, I truly believe you'll be a fantastic mother." She continued.

Ranma flashed her a glare. "I'm still a dude you know."

Ku-Lon laughed aloud at that. "Not in the eyes of this village!"

Ranma face-faulted, groaning with her face in the dirt. "What have I gotten myself into..."

Suddenly, she realised something. Something _massive_.

She shot to her feet, absolutely frantic. "Oh _shit,_ my wife is going to kill me!"

"I gotta go!" She yelled. "I gotta call to make!" She rushed from the tent, leaving behind a room full of very confused medical staff and two very amused Elders.

Then it was Ku-Lon's turn to pale in realization. "Oh Goddess." She breathed.

"What's the matter?" Pa Fum asked, worried.

"Saotome Nabiki is coming _here._ " She whispered. Saying the words only seemed to confirm it in her mind and she slumped in resignation. "Oh well. At least things are going to be interesting..."

Pa Fum blinked as she remembered something. "Oh Goddess I must be tired. I forgot to mention it, but there is actually something we know about her."

Ku-Lon raised an eyebrow. "Mhm? And what is that?"

Wordlessly, Pa Fum withdew a small object from her ki-pocket. "I found this in her pocket. She's obviously smitten with him" She explained with a chuckle.

Ku-Lon took the thing, turning it over in her hands with a small smile. It was a small, battered gold locket in the shape of a heart, with a picture of a young boy with an odd shaped head inside. There had been an inscription on the back but it was indecipherable underneath the damage. The only thing they could make out was _To Arnold, my love._

Ku-Lon chuckled lightly. Ah to be young and in love.

"Well. We can only hope she sees him again someday. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some preparations to make."

She sighed, and muttered something under her breath so quietly that Pa Fum was sure it wasn't meant for her to hear.

"The God Slayer and the Ice Queen of Nerima, what an incredible pair of parents to have…"

* * *

A month passed with agonising sluggishness as Ranma waited for their mystery charge, her newly adopted daughter, to wake up.

Life had been hectic in the meantime. There had been a feast in her honour in celebration of her joining the tribe. That was expected. What wasn't expected was the Elder council voting unanimously to install her as the village's War Mistress.

Shampoo was overall ecstatic about the whole affair. She had a new Shield-Sister who she genuinely respected, and cared about a great deal. She would follow Ranma anywhere.

After Ranma and Nabiki's marriage she'd decided to give up on her, and not just because she was absolutely terrified by Nabiki. She'd have lost her entirely if she'd continued to push, she realized that. So she settled on being her friend.

She of course still held one hell of a torch for him, but she knew where she stood now.

Mousse was obviously over the moon about that. Hilariously to everyone who knew him, it didn't make his chances of marrying Shampoo any better.

Ranma had been right. Her new wife had been _pissed._ Even mellowed as she had over the years Nabiki was still able to shoot ice down her spine with just a glance.

As Ranma sat on the top of the village gate attempting fruitlessly to meditate, she laughed to herself.

There was something she'd never thought she'd say. My wife, Tendo Nabiki.

About a year after the failed wedding attempt to Nabiki's younger sister Akane, things had gotten no better between the two bickering teens. In fact, it'd had even gotten worse.

More and more Ranma found himself hiding from his finance's wrath in Nabiki's room while the girl herself just smirked at him.

They'd actually gotten talking, really talking. Ranma had realised that there was far more than the money-grubbing ice queen persona she put on. At the same time Nabiki realised that there was more to him than the martial arts jock with no brain.

They'd become real friends, which had eventually lead into something more. Of course there was the Akane problem still to deal with.

Fortunately, they were given the perfect opportunity. Akane had gotten angry, again. And she'd shouted at the top of her lungs that she wished she could renounce the arranged marriage that had gotten them into this mess.

Nabiki had pounced instantly.

With just some well-chosen and rather cutting words with her father, the engagement was changed over to her effective immediately.

Akane had been _furious_. Even so, despite all previous history no one thought she'd lash out at one of her sisters. Despite not being all that good by Neriman standards, Akane was still in the top ten percent of martial artists in the world. And on top of that, she was _very_ strong.

She lashed out with a straight right that would have pulped Nabiki's skull had it landed. But it never did.

Ranma was instantly between them, having caught the blow with ease.

" _Ranmaa!"_ she'd screamed, immediately shifting her aggression to him. She lashed out again with her free hand, intent on sending him flying.

But Ranma did something he'd never done before. He stopped the blow cold.

Akane was honestly shocked out of single-minded anger. Ranma _never_ stopped her before, not once.

Then she caught a look at his face. Ranma was _livid._ She'd never seen him this angry before, ever.

"Don't touch her." Ranma said, his voice filled with a quiet yet seething anger. "Don't you ever touch her. From now on, it stops. It all stops. I'm not letting you push me around anymore and if you _ever_ hurt Nabiki…"

He let the threat hang in the air for a few seconds before dropping her arms with disgust and walking out of the room.

"You know you can't hide from me up here anymore." A familiar teasing voice broke Ranma from her memories.

She flinched. Darn if Nabiki hadn't gotten good at sneaking around. Maybe teaching her the Umi Sen Ken had been a bad idea… She'd only just got the technique down and she was still in the novel stage.

"Yea, I know." Ranma replied, opening her eyes to see her wife's grinning face. "You've gotten really good. Glad all that potential didn't go to waste after all." She grinned back.

"Yes well, if I hadn't married you it would have." She waved that away.

Nabiki had been in the village with her for just over two weeks. The day she'd arrived had been _explosive_ to say the least.

Despite the bollocking she'd given her over the sat-phone when Ranma had informed her of her new… _living arrangements_ , she apparently hadn't gotten it all out of her system.

She'd marched right up and gave her the chewing out of her life right there in the middle of the village for an _hour_. At least the Joketzuko warriors had enjoyed it. It was interesting to see that a person with such incredible power like the God Slayer was still completely and utterly whipped.

Eventually Nabiki had wound down. She understood why Ranma had done it, if she hadn't she wouldn't be the man she'd married. She wasn't happy, but she could deal with it.

It was a good thing Ranma had insisted on restarting Nabiki's Anything Goes training after they had married. Being around him was dangerous, being a member of the Joketzuko was even more so.

In the here and now, Nabiki was suddenly all business. "She's waking up."

Instantly Ranma was on her feet. Nothing more needed to be said. Together the married couple leapt from the gate and ran towards the healer's longhouse. Neither thought they were truly ready to be parents, but they knew they had to try.

Saotome Ranma and Saotome Nabiki ran into this new chapter of their lives as they would for everything, together.

* * *

 _Seven Years Later:_

"Freedom!" She cried as the bell rang for the last time that year. Summer vacation here she came!

"Have a good summer everyone! Don't forget to do your summer homework! Remember, next year is your final year, you have to take it seriously!"

Saotome Chiharu happily ignored her sensei, still buzzing on her schools-out high. An entire year over and an entire summer still to come, what could be better!

She was about to make a bolt for the nearest window, her preferred exit point, when someone grabbed her blouse sleeve.

She turned around and was confronted with the grinning face of her best friend Sayuri who was holding her fast. "Oh no you don't Chiharu-chan!" She laughed. "You're not escaping so easily this time. We're going to get ice-cream with the others and that's that."

Chiharu groaned and slumped in her seat. "Do I have to?" She asked pitifully.

Sighing in mock exasperation at her best friend's antics Sayuri put her hands on her hips. "Yes, yes you do. The girls organized this trip ages ago and it's been weeks since you've spent any time with us!"

"There's a very good reason for that." Chiharu muttered. "Besides, are you sure _I_ was invited? I'm not exactly popular around here you know."

Sayuri frowned at that blunt admission but couldn't outright refute it. She was right after all.

Ever since the Saotome family had returned to Nerima Chiharu had been singled out. Even in Nerima and all the crazy that went with that, being pale skinned, blonde haired and drop dead gorgeous set you apart immediately.

Chiharu, now seventeen years of age, had grown up very well. She was a _tall_ woman even for a westerner, standing at just shy of six feet with long blonde hair in a ponytail that trailed down to the middle of her back. Even back at the beginning of High School she had been taller than pretty much everyone else in her year group.

Add onto that the fact that she had a body that was easily comparable to her Aunty Xian-Pu with a fashion taste to match and you have a recipe for pure feminine jealousy.

Then again, her fashion sense wasn't exactly her fault. You try being surrounded by Chinese Amazons for as long as you can remember and come out normal. After all, her father was _still_ wearing those threadbare silks of his even after all this time. Chiharu shuddered. The memory of three different girls pinning her down to get rid of her mono brow would stay with her for _years_.

She'd lost count of times she'd been called a variation of slut, or she'd been told to "stay away from [Insert Name Here], he's _my_ boyfriend!" if she so much as even said hello in the hallway.

On the other side of the coin entirely she was _very_ popular with the teenaged male population of Furinkan High school, much to her displeasure. She'd become a sex-object to them seemingly overnight and there had been a lot of broken fingers doled out when boys decided to get too handsy. But even though they wanted her _body_ they never wanted _her._

They were absolutely _terrified_ of her, something she'd actively encouraged for her time at the school. She took no shit from anyone and was completely unafraid of Principal Ninomiya's brand of punishment. Add onto that the fact that she was one of the top twenty students in the school and spoke two languages. She intimidated them and she was happy with that.

That was of course not even getting into her little _problem_ with cold water. Thank the Goddess that this ward was so open minded about the arcane.

But for some reason none of that mattered to Sayuri. She'd met Chiharu a week after school started in her Violin lessons. The next day at break she'd simply sat down next to her, broke out her lunch and refused to be deterred from getting to know the strange foreigner.

They'd been friends ever since.

"Fiiine." Sayuri sighed good naturedly. "Still, we have to make time to practice together at some point. Some of us don't get the chance to play with _the_ Kaioh Michiru." All of a sudden her friends eyes glazed over.

Here it comes. Chiharu sighed in her mind. Three, two, one…

"OH she's just so amazing!" Sayuri swooned, collapsing into her seat with a love-struck sigh. "She's just so beautiful and graceful and her _music…_ Oh that Tenou, she's the luckiest woman in the world! _"_

And that was one of the other reasons that the two had stuck together for so long, Chiharu thought with an exasperated mental sigh. Social outcasts needed friends too.

Sayuri was a lesbian and proud of it ever since she'd come out in the middle of second year. Chiharu hadn't cared a bit, for the Joketzuko it simply wasn't an issue, even encouraged as stress relief.

It was the rest of the school that was the issue. Japan wasn't exactly the most… progressive of countries. From the day the word started getting around Sayuri suddenly found herself ostracized from just about everything, and bullied relentlessly.

That at least had stopped when Chiharu had started beating people who actively messed with her, but the subtle things hadn't abated until the middle of this year when people had grown up enough to get used to it.

Kaioh Michiru, the woman commonly known around the world as the _greatest violin player in a generation_ had been Sayuri's long term crush, especially when the truth of her relationship with Tenou Haruka had been revealed. The violinist was actually a very old friend of her fathers from when they were both in middle school and it was she that inspired Chiharu to take up the instrument for herself as a creative outlet she desperately needed.

As amazing as the Art could be, Chiharu needed to express herself and her emotions in a way that wasn't beating random street thugs to a pulp.

"Oh come on Sayuri, that's not fair. I hardly see her anymore." She sighed, re-treading a very worn path in this argument.

"But you still get to see her!" Sayuri snapped back, following suit. "And don't think I've forgiven you for not introducing me!"

Chiharu groaned. "Look, we're not doing this again. Don't you have people to meet?"

Sayuri harrumphed, before brightening. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm sure." She deadpanned.

"Ok then, call you tonight?"

"Sure."

With a bright smile and a wave Sayuri walked off through the now empty classroom, leaving Chiharu alone.

She sighed in mock exasperation at her best friend. She glanced around the room, checking that she was truly alone, before she reached into her pocket and pulled out a very familiar golden locket, turning it over in her hands.

The locket and the pink ribbon she kept above her bed. The only two reminders of her life before her father found her, the life that she could no longer remember.

Post-Traumatic Amnesia. That was what Elder Pa Fum had called it. The blow to her head had done serious damage, and she had absolutely no memories of her life before waking up afraid and in pain in the Joketzuko village.

Her recovery was long and difficult. She had to learn how to walk, how to talk, how to look after herself all over again. All that, while dealing with her little _problem._

Saotome Chiharu was cursed. Whenever she came into contact with cold water she turned into a man. Hot water changed her back to her natural form.

If she was honest with herself, it wasn't such a huge deal. It was all she'd ever known after all. However, in the beginning the one thing that kept her sane was the fact that her father had the same curse only swapped around, and could understand what she was going through.

Even with all her problems though, she still loved being who she was. She had friends who knew _her_ she had a family that cared and the right to shoot ki balls at fools. Life was good.

But even so, she couldn't help but wonder what her life had been like before. Who she had been, who her old family were, and who she had known.

Simply, who was Helga Geraldine Pataki?

Her mother had an idea of course, most likely more than that. There was nothing that kept Saotome Nabiki from what she wanted. Chiharu was certain she'd looked up every shred of information she could about Helga when they returned to Nerima nearly three years ago. How much she actually knew was a mystery but Chiharu guessed all of it.

For whatever reason she'd only told her what her old name had been, but it had been enough. She trusted her mother with that much. After all, while she wondered what might have been, she was more than happy with her current life.

She turned over the locket one last time, looking at the cracked picture of the boy inside.

 _Just who are you, Arnold._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Hey hey hello! It's your gal-pal Fractal back again!

So. I had this basically written before I posted the last chapter so you lovely people can be treated to a _very_ early second one. That, and i'm addicted to reviews.

But enough of that! Onwards to the story!

And at last all the pieces are in place for the story to progress. Characters introduced, plotline set. Wrack em up and knock em down.

Yes, I'm a fan of the Ranma-Nabiki pairing. That and RanmaxKasumi are the only two I really ship. (I'm not the biggest fan of Akane. That girl's abusive as hell, but that's not the argument we need right now.)

And I couldn't resist adding the little nod to Sailor Moon. Honestly, they may as well just be canonically in the same universe, at least if the Fandom is to be believed :)  
They're not going to be a big influence on the story. Honestly, you can either take it or leave it.

I'll be straight up with it, this story is going to be HelgaXArnold. Because... well you know why. They're absolutely adorable together.

Well, enough of Fractal's ranting. On to review replies!

(I'll be really honest, the fact I got any reviews at all for this out of left field crossover blows my mind. Keep them coming. :P )

 **Dah884 -** Hey friend! I'm glad I wasn't the only person crazy enough to come up with this idea. You're more than welcome. I hope this lives up to expectations!

 **Zackadoorie -** Thanks! I hope i don't disappoint.

 **anonline -** Um. Thank I guess? Heh. I'll try my best not to disappoint.

Well that's all for this chapter. Up next, Training trips, bears, magical shennanigans and an answer long sought after.

Read, review, and i'll see you next time!  
LuckyFractal.


	3. Chapter 3

_Two weeks later:_

The sounds of combat echoed around the river clearing as two martial artists battled it out early one clear summer morning.

It was summer vacation for the Saotome children and that meant one thing and one thing alone.

Training trip!

Twice a year the family as a whole packed up shop and came here, a small out of the way patch of woodlands in the middle of nowhere. It had everything they needed, a slow moving fairly deep river, clearings and solid ground. It was perfect. They stayed in a small cabin that Ranma had built himself and spent the entire day doing anything and everything training.

Unsurprisingly, the kids adored every second of it.

That particular morning Nabiki and Ranma were sparring on the training log, suspended a few feet above the middle of the river. One wrong move and _splash_.

This of course had more effect on Ranma and Chiharu than the others, a fact that went tactfully unsaid.

Away a bit from the river on a patch of clear ground Saotome Chiharu was taking her two siblings through a set of middling Anything Goes kata while keeping an eye on the spectacle of her parents practicing the Art.

Both were simply incredible. They were so far above where Chiharu herself was it wasn't even funny but that was to be expected.

Off the top of her head she could name the top five martial artists in the world. In no particular order, Matriarch Ku-Lon, Happosai, Saotome Ranma, Prince Herb of the Musk, and her Aunt Xian Pu.

In term of raw power Saffron of the Phoenix Tribe should have featured but he was technically a demigod. That was cheating and Chiharu didn't think it counted. He wasn't even a martial artist!

The newest addition to that elite group was easily her Auntie Xian Pu. She'd spent the last eight years training with Ranma and Matriarch Ku-Lon as hard as she could and it had showed. She'd always had a level of potential for martial arts that was simply incredible. Winning the village championship at sixteen was nearly unheard of, before her unfortunate detour in chasing her father.

But she'd finally tapped that potential and the results were staggering.

Saotome Nabiki was placed firmly in the top twenty five, but she was gaining fast. And you wouldn't know that by looking at the husband and wife sparring right then. The two moved at a speed that Chiharu could only just keep track of much less match. Blows were thrown and countered so smoothly it was hard to tell when one combo began and another ended. It was beautiful.

That was even before they busted out the ki specials. But there was no call for those in an early morning warmup match.

"Chi-nee! You're supposed to be helping us!" an indignant voice dragged her attention from her sparring parents. She turned back to be confronted by the crossed arms and frowning faces of her two younger siblings.

Saotome Shizuka was the middle child, the spitting image of her father's female form and anything but what her name implied. At seven years of age she had bright red hair, small frame and a temper to go along with it. She was of course the one who had scolded Chiharu for her inattention.

The youngest, Saotome Sora, stood quietly behind his more assertive sibling and nodded his head in solidarity, more doing what Shizuka did than actually agreeing. But then again, what more could you expect of a five year old. Black haired Sora was the quiet one of the family and took after his Aunt Kasumi more and more every day.

She remembered her father muttering something about an _order generator_ when he thought no one could hear him. What _that_ meant she had no idea. What she did know was that even though he was only five he had a way of curbing most of Shizuka's more hot headed tendencies, a blessing if there ever was one.

"We're done! What now?" Shizuka demanded.

Chiharu chuckled. "Now do that again. Ten more times."

She laughed a little harder at Shizuka's groan.

"You said that last time!" She complained.

"And I'll say it again and again until you've got it." Chiharu smirked. She glanced to her side. "Unless you want Sora to leave you behind…?"

Instead of complaining Sora had simply taken his mark and was running through the Kata again.

"Fine…" Shizuka groaned before taking up the Kata as well.

Chuckling to herself, Chiharu took her own place a few meters away and began a kata of her own.

The day passed like nearly every other on their trips. Kata, sparring, with the occasional trip to the training log with her father and subsequent swim in the river when she got knocked off.

Which of course was turned into even more training. Ranma had decided to train both of her forms equally as she'd grown up. As a woman she was faster, more flexible and dexterous. Her male form was stronger and had the reach advantage. "I'm not letting you make the same mistakes I did when I was your age." He'd explained.

What the time spent as Saotome Haru also did was keep the water magnet part of her curse at bay. Ranma had discovered as she spent more time as a woman the curse left her basically alone. The more time she spent as a woman the more freedom she was given when he wanted to be a man.

So for at least half the day Haru trained with Ranko while Nabiki stayed with the younger pair. It was a good a chance as any to train him on the much more advanced portions of Anything Goes that the kids weren't ready for.

Then near the end of the evening Haru changed back to Chiharu and her parents went to do their own training, going far enough that their really powerful attacks wouldn't hurt anyone when unleashed. You could see the fight from kilometres away if they _really_ cut loose.

The Saotome children did whatever they wanted to for then. Extra practice, games of tag, going for runs in the forest you name it.

That particular evening Chiharu was getting a head start on the evening meal, a hearty stew cooked over an outdoor fire. Shizuka and Sora had gone exploring a little while ago leaving her alone.

She didn't mind. It was a warm summer evening, the sky was clear and even the dull sounds explosions or tornados from her parents in the distance was calming.

She placed the lid over the pot and stepped away with a sigh. Cooking for the Saotome family was a herculean effort.

They each ate easily their own body weight a day. Cooking that much food was such a hassle.

It had been a hard day's training, but a good one. She was just about to go relax with her violin when she suddenly stilled.

She stood frozen in place, listening with all her might. It couldn't have been…

Her worst fears were confirmed when the sound came again. A distant child's panicked scream.

She was off instantly, sprinting into the tree line after her siblings.

* * *

Five minutes had never seemed so long to Chiharu's panicked mind as she ran as fast as she could, following her siblings yelling. All kinds of horrible scenarios played themselves out in her head as she dashed through the forest.

When found them, it was worse.

The Ussuri brown bear is one of the largest bear species in the world, ranging from 160 to 600 kilograms in weight.

The one that had trapped her two siblings in a gap between two rocky outcrops was one of the bigger ones.

The kids had managed to find some sort of shelter, but it wasn't quite enough. Just as she arrived as the bear managed to get a claw in and scratch a long furrow across Shizuka's cheek.

Righteous anger pulsed through her, blotting out nearly everything else. No one, but _no one_ hurt her siblings.

This beast was going down, and going down _hard_.

She bellowed a warcry and launched herself forward. Deep within herself, she felt something click into place.

Energy surged within her very being, filling her with a sense of power like she'd never known before. She felt _strong_ , she felt _incredible_. She felt like a part of herself that she'd been missing was suddenly there and it was intoxicating.

She powered into the bear's side like a freight train, tackling it with a wordless bellow of fury. She knocked several hundred kilograms of angry ursine completely over as they went down with a tumble.

She was on her feet and between the bear and her siblings instantly. "Stay there." She ordered the two.

By then the bear had gotten back to its feet. It bellowed a challenge at her for taking its food and charged.

Normally five hundred kilograms of angry bear running at you as fast as it could would be a cause for concern but right that second, with this new force she'd found inside herself, there was no scenario Chiharu could imagine where she could possibly lose.

She bellowed in return and met its charge with one of her own.

They slammed together, pure natural strength matching off against ki enhanced human. They fought mono-e-mono for dominance for a few seconds before Chiharu simply let go.

The bear toppled forward without the support, Chiharu slipping out from under it. She jumped onto its back before it could recover, latching both arms around the bear's neck with a grip like iron. It rose with another bellow, trying desperately to throw her off.

But it wasn't to be. She grabbed the things massive head and with every last drop of strength she had left, _yanked._

The bear's growl was cut off sharply as its neck snapped. It went down hard with a final thud.

Chiharu panted for a moment, not entirely sure it was over, before she stood. She was breathing hard and the adrenalin was making itself felt. Her siblings were safe.

All at once that miraculous energy drained out of her and she slumped to her knees in exhaustion.

"Chi-nee!" Shizuka yelled as the two kids scrambled out of their makeshift hiding place and over to her, diving into her arms.

"Are you two alright?" Chiharu forced out in between heavy pants. Kami above was she light headed.

"We're fine, but _how did you do that_!" Shizuka cried. "That was awesome!"

"I… I'm not sure. I just did." Chiharu panted. "You two were-"

She froze as the sound of something large and heavy-sounding met her ears.

"We need to leave, now!" She gasped rising to her feet only to collapse. She couldn't make her body move despite her best efforts.

"Not without you!" The brave _stupid_ seven year old shouted back. Both her and her brother grabbed a hold of her shoulders and started trying to drag her nearly dead weight away.

But it was too late. From the trees plodded the _second_ Ussuri bear. This one was much smaller, half the weight of the last. Unfortunately, Chiharu was in no state to do anything about it.

"Run, _now_!" Chiharu screamed at her siblings, using the very last of her energy to push the two away from her.

Both stumbled away but were immediately at her side, grabbing on again.

"Go, get out of here!" Chiharu begged. These two idiots were going to get themselves killed!

They ignored her, still trying desperately to drag her away. But they were children, martial artist children, but still children. They didn't have the strength to pull her fast enough.

The second bear had finished investigating the corpse of her mate and turned her head towards them, bellowing in anger.

Out of nowhere a man's voice yelled something from nearby, that sent Chiharu's spirits soaring.

"Where am I now!"

"Uncle Ryoga!" Chiharu screamed at the top of her lungs, just as the bear began to charge.

Her exhaustion overcame her at last just as a familiar form jumped between them and the roaring bear, pulling an umbrella from his pack as he did so. Her eyes closed and she knew no more.

* * *

Chiharu woke up slowly, her dreams reluctant to free her from their grasp. Fractured images of children, friends, pain, loneliness and heartache all mixed up in a disorientating swirl that by the time she opened her eyes she could only vaguely remember.

She sat up, finding herself in the familiar surroundings of her and her sibling's room in the Saotome cabin. Night had clearly fallen while she slept. She stretched with a wide yawn before trying to get up.

Trying being the operative word. Her legs nearly collapsed as they took her weight and Chiharu swayed violently in a sudden wave of dizziness. It took her nearly five minutes to actually stand without wanting to vomit, another five before she could make it to the doorway.

The rest of the family were sitting around the fire when she opened the door, all turning with surprise on their faces to look at her.

"Heh, Heya." She panted, slumped against the doorframe. "Sorry 'bout that."

" _Chi-nee!"_ The kids both shouted at the exact same time, immediately bull-rushing her, knocking her to the ground in a pile of limbs and curses.

"Oww… Hi you two. You alright?" She asked.

"Were fine, thanks to you and Uncle Ryoga!" Shizuka explained.

"I thought that was him. I'm so glad." Chiharu sighed with a relieved smile.

"All right now, up you two come." The voice of their father cut into their conversation. A hand grabbed the shirts of both younger children, lifting them up as if they weighed nothing at all.

"What did I tell you not to do when Chiharu woke up?" Ranma asked the two hanging children.

"Tackle her…" Shizuka muttered eyes downcast. Sora mirrored the motion in his father's other hand.

"Are you alright Chiharu?"

The girl in question met her mother's eyes and grabbed on to her offered hand.

"Yea, I'm alright. Mostly." She said wryly as Nabiki pulled her to her feet.

"I'm glad. When P-chan dragged you three into camp with two dead Bears I didn't know what to think. I should cut your allowance for making me worry like that!" Nabiki lightly scolded.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that. How long was I out for?"

"Three days, roughly." Ranma cut in. Amusingly he still had the two children held up like grocery bags. "I was out for a week the first time I tapped my Ki. Your mother was only out for a day."

Nabiki flashed Ranma a smirk. "And never expect any less. So, what happened exactly?"

"She was _awesome_ is what happened!" Shizuka couldn't contain her enthusiasm any longer. "That bear had us trapped but Chi-nee came to the rescue!" She finished with a massive grin.

Ranma lifted the girl to his eye level and shot her a look.

"We got _your_ side of things already. Now I forget, what did I say I'd do if you were too enthusiastic when your sister woke up?" He asked pointedly.

The young girl paled, eyes widening. " _Not_ throw us in the river?" She asked hopefully with a nervous chuckle.

"Nice try. Time for a swim!"

"Sora run!"

The two children started struggling desperately to get away from their hilarious, precarious situation. It was all for nought though, for quick as a flash Ranma had opened the door with a foot and with ease tossed the two out of the cabin.

They flew in perfect arcs, screaming the whole way down, until they splashed down in one of the deeper parts of the river. Ranma watched just long enough for the two to surface, spluttering and indignant.

"Kata, start from the beginning, repeat if you finish. You can stop when I come and get you and don't even _think_ of wandering off. I'll know. See you later!" And with a shit eating grin Ranma turned away and closed the door behind him.

Chiharu meanwhile was leaning heavily against her mother, laughing her head off. Nabiki was shaking her head in mock exasperation, looking fondly at her husband.

Another sudden wave of dizziness hit the teen, making her sway heavily before her mother's comforting arms latched on firmly again.

"Let's get you sat down. Your father and I need to talk with you." She said, guiding her daughter over to one of the comfortable chairs.

"Thanks. Where's Uncle P-Chan?" Chiharu asked once she sat down.

Ranma and Nabiki took seats opposite her, Ranma chuckling as he did so. "Wandered off yesterday. He'll turn up at some point. You know what he's like. He did say to congratulate you though."

Chiharu nodded, it's basically what she expected. Uncle Ryoga could never manage to stay in one place for very long. She didn't know how Aunt Akari put up with it.

"I'll have to thank him. So, what do ya need?"

Both of her parents paused for a moment, shooting each other a Look.

"First of all, I gotta say how proud I am of you right now. My little girl, taking down an Ussuri! _With her bare hands!_ Well done Chiharu!" He beamed, glowing with pride.

The girl preened under her father's praise. She _did_ deserve it after all.

"While I am just happy you're alive. You saved your brother and sister, I hope you realize that." Nabiki added.

"Well, wasn't like I was going to do anything else." Chiharu muttered.

"Of course. You've proven to us that you can look after yourself and we think it's time to tell you some things that we have kept from you." Nabiki said seriously.

Chiharu looked questioningly between the uncharacteristically serious looks on her parent's faces and waited for them to continue.

"You know you're adopted. We've never hid that from you. Your father fished you out of the Springs and we've been looking after you ever since. You know all this. But what you don't know is what we promised ourselves we'd do, when we didn't have to look after you anymore."

"Where are you two going with this?" Chiharu asked.

"We're getting there, cool ya jets." Ranma cut in.

"Anyway. When we got back to Japan I spent six months pulling every string I had to find out as much about who you were as I could. That's when I told you what your name was, of course."

"Helga Pataki, I know. And I thought you did. It's what I'd do." Chiharu said with a wry smile.

Nabiki laughed at that. "Yea, I suppose I've taught you well. The problem is what I didn't tell you. Now we had our reasons for this, ones I hope you will understand. The most important was your curse."

"There's a reason Jusenkyo curses are used as a serious punishment among the Joketzuko. For most who are cursed, it's a death sentence. Chaos has a way of following those affected, and it _never stops_. Ask your father."

"She's right. It sucks."

Nabiki flashed a sidelong glare at her husband. "Not what I was looking for. But anyway, we didn't want you away from us until you could look after yourself in any situation. And now that you've tapped your Ki, we know you can. Know that your father and I love you with all our hearts, just as much as we love Shizuka and Sora. You are our daughter and always will be. So, now's the time."

Nabiki took a deep and fortifying breath before launching into the tale.

"You were born Helga Geraldine Pataki just over seventeen years ago in Hillwood City Washington to third generation European-Americans immigrants. Your biological father's name was Robert Pataki, an electronics salesman, and your biological mother's name was Miriam. You were a second child, born much later on after your elder sister Olga."

"When you were ten your sister won an award here in Japan and your family flew out to see her receive it, or at least I assume. Now I don't know how or why but you, your father and your mother were on a flight from Kazakhstan to Hong Kong. You all just so happened to be on the same flight as a very controversial CEO of a major oil company. Eco-terrorists managed to sneak explosives onto the flight and detonated them in air. The plane went down over the Bayankalas, you were thrown from the plane and landed in the Springs. You've been with us ever since." Nabiki explained.

Chiharu took it all in as best she could. It was a _lot_ of information to have dumped on her at once. "Wait, what happened to the sister, Olga right?" She asked.

When both of her parents _flinched_ , she knew something was bad. "What, what? What happened to her?" She asked, more forcefully.

Nabiki sighed. "Olga… is still alive. She's living in Hillwood now."

"Holy shit…" Chiharu whispered, reeling. Helga's sister was still alive? Kami, she couldn't imagine what it must be like for her. The thought of losing anyone in her family made her heart ache but to lose them _all…_

It would be hell on earth.

But a thought struck her. She didn't know her sister actually survived that crash. This Olga had been living for the last _seven years_ thinking her sister dead and gone.

A darker thought occurred. She wasn't far off. To all intents and purposes, Helga _was_ dead. While Chiharu empathised with this Olga, she didn't feel any personal attachment to the woman.

She _wasn't_ Helga Pataki anymore. She tried to think of what would be worse, to be left to grieve for a sister that technically wasn't dead yet, or to have a stranger arrive wearing her face?

Her mother continued, breaking her from her thoughts. "One other thing. Helga Pataki is officially dead, but is one of the three people on board whose bodies were never found. From what my contact in Hillwood told me, she never gave up hoping you survived."

Chiharu frowned. "I'll be honest; I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't think she did." She sighed.

"What do ya mean? Ya did survive. You're right here. How could ya not?" Ranma asked, completely puzzled.

Both Chiharu and Nabiki shared a look before sighing wearily. Ranma may be a lot more intelligent than he looked, but _feelings_ never were his thing.

"Well, think about it pop. This Olga has been waiting for her sister to come back. Problem, I'm not that person anymore. How would you feel if Shizuka disappeared for three years, the suddenly showed back up with no memory of you?"

Ranma blinked, then frowned heavily. "Horrible. It would be torture." He said after a moment.

"Exactly. That's why-"

"But it would be worth it to know that she was still alive, or whatever was left of her." Her father interrupted.

Both women shot surprised looks at him. Where had _that_ come from?

Ranma sighed, then smiled ruefully. "What? I did it with Ma. I thought she was dead for ten years, and then she came back into my life. Problem, she was an actual _crazy woman_. And even though I spent _years_ on a literal knife-edge around her, I was still happy to have her there."

"Huh." Chiharu said after a moment, clicking her tongue. "I'd never have guessed."

"Oh trust me; she's much better than she used to be. Having grandbabies to spoil mellowed her out a _lot."_ Nabiki said with a small laugh." She smiled softly at her husband, taking his hand in hers. Chiharu couldn't help but smile slightly. It was pretty obvious that her parents were still totally and completely in love with each other.

She could only hope she had someone like that someday.

Suddenly, Nabiki's smile turned sly. "Then again, if she knew some of the stuff we got up to…"

Ranma _flinched_ , instantly turning a burning red. "Not in front of Chiharu!" He managed to say in a voice strangled by embarrassment.

"Oh, _kami_ _please_ not now!" Chiharu cried, her own cheeks lightly dusted with red. She couldn't stand it when her parent's got all flirty in front of her.

Nabiki just smirked. "Oh all right. Ruin my fun." She snarked, before turning serious again.

"But now the question needs to be asked, what do you want to do now?"

Chiharu blinked. She actually hadn't thought about that. What _did_ she want to do?

Olga wasn't anything to her really. She was just a name attached to a hypothetical person. She'd meant something to _Helga_. What that something had been could have been anything. She could have loved her, she could have despised her, maybe a strange mixture of the two.

But Helga was gone. Chiharu was who she was now and she wouldn't trade the life she'd been given for anything.

But despite this, at the back of her mind, there was a question. A question that she'd been asking herself for so long but hadn't really given it all that much thought.

Who had she been? Just who was Helga Geraldine Pataki?

Seeing the conflict on her face, her mother spoke up, draping a comforting arm across her shoulders. "You don't have to decide right now. Kami knows I couldn't. Give it a few days. We'll support you in whatever direction you want to go." She assured.

"You're still our daughter, kiddo. We'll always love you. And your brother and sister do too." Her father added, moving over and latching on to her other side.

Chiharu's heart nearly burst. Truly Kami had blessed her by giving her these two. She snuggled into their embrace, latching on to her parents as hard as she could. Come whatever may, she'd have the love of this wonderful, eccentric family.

It was all she would ever need.

* * *

Shizuka means Giftfor people who were wondering.

Chiharu means thousand springs, roughly.

 **Author's Note:**

Hey again guys!

Have another chapter!

I'll be honest, the fact that I got two reviews within like two days kinda reminded me that this story existed... heh. Ah well, i'm here now!

I feel as though I should just state this now, just get it out of the way so that people aren't misled or anything.

Helga will never get her memories back. They're gone. Gone and done. It's more fun that way.

Hope you all like it!

Fractal.


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